On TV

Natural World: Eagle Island (BBC2)

CRUEL coincidence or the work of the devil? Those trying to shrug off strange stories surrounding the 1970s horror movie might have changed their minds after watching The Curse Of The Omen.

By listing all the unexplained, often terrifying happenings, the weight of evidence came down in favour of devilish intervention. The narrator's melodramatic declaration that "death stalked the production" was unnecessary as the facts spoke for themselves.

Producer Harvey Bernhard was warned if he "took away the devil's cloak of invisibility", he could expect trouble. No wonder he wore a cross every day on set as satanic retribution was prophesied if he made the film about the US Ambassador to London discovering that his son is the devil's offspring with 666 stamped on his head.

It began before the cameras began rolling. Peck's son committed suicide, then planes carrying the American actor and producer Mace Neufeld were both struck by lightning. An aircraft booked for aerial filming was switched at the last moment to another job. It crashed, hit a car and six people were killed.

The horror continued during shooting. Rottweilers bit through a stunt man's padding, the keeper in a big cat enclosure used for filming was killed by a tiger. No wonder star Lee Remick refused to do a fall from a balcony in case something went wrong.

At least one potential act of violence was unrelated to the supernatural. When actress Billie Whitelaw said of devil child actor Harvey Stephens, "I wanted to strangle him, he really was a little devil", it had more to do with his behaviour than any satanic influence.

Make a movie about the devil and stories about odd occurrences inevitably follow, often fuelled by the publicity department. When a film is a hit, as The Omen was, the tales of terror tend to multiply.

One final event made me stop and think there might be something to it. Special effects supervisor John Richardson was involved in a head-on car crash in Holland a year after making The Omen. The odd thing is that he devised the film's most famous death in which a large pane of glass slid off a lorry and decapitated David Warner's character. In the road accident Richardson's passenger died after being cut in half. And it happened by an old mile post bearing the figure 66.6 (miles) on the road to - wait for it - Ommen. Spooky or what?

Cameraman Gordon Buchanan had a happier time in Natural World as he returned to Mull, the island off the west coast of Scotland where he grew up. Having travelled the world filming wildlife, he returned to spend a year photographing eagles, whales, dolphins and otter nearer home.

Both scenery and creatures were spectacular with impressive results achieved by simple methods. At one point he was swimming with seals in mask and snorkel, with a camera in a waterproof bag.

Grease: Sunderland Empire

IT'S a Seventies musical about kids in the Fifties, and it's the most popular musical in the UK. Grease is the word at the Sunderland Empire this week, and it's packing out the theatre with fans from six to 106.

In case you've been on another planet for the past 30 or so years, the story has to do with a summer romance between goody-goody Sandy and cool dude Danny. When the pair find themselves at the same High School sparks start to fly, as Danny has problems maintaining his image with his friends while being in love with Sandy.

The plot, such as it is, doesn't really matter as it's the songs that have made Grease such a huge hit the world over, and the singing and acting in this production is of a high standard. A word of warning, though, if you plan to take youngsters along - some of the lyrics, especially in Greased Lightnin', are more explicit than I'd previously realised. I don't know if it's a different musical arrangement, or the singers are better, but there are rude words coming over loud and clear.

Having said that, Grease doesn't set out to offend and the emphasis is firmly on having fun. Paul Manuel is excellent as Danny, and Michelle Francis standing in for Hayley Evetts as Sandy is engaging and confident. It's a great night out for all ages.

l Until Saturday. Box Office: 0870-6021130

Sue Heath

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